Copenhagen – Water

I hope you’re all having a good day! I recently went on a threeish week trip around Scandinavia and stopped through Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen (so now it’s time for those bad boys). This post is about the latter and it’s a doozy. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and home to some wonderful people and sights. I went with my friend Amy and we were so lucky with the weather. The heat was intense and perfect for dangling our legs in the many canal rivers and a great excuse for sipping many mojitos. The general lifestyle of Copenhagens is so relaxed, peaceful and healthy. Everyone cycles and the bike lanes were created with bikers in mind (aka no small lanes or awkward cars parked in the way) – it’s enjoyable and a pleasure to ride there. Everyone we encountered just seemed so happy and I would seriously consider moving there in the future.

We stayed in an Airbnb just a smidge out of the city centre but easily accessible by buses/biking. We decided to get the Copenhagen card which offers free transport and access to a bunch of sights (of course we did our research to check it was worth it and it saved us quite a bit). Most of our research was done online, in the local tourist shop on our first day and from friend recommendations. This post is all about places along the water (if you didn’t know Copenhagen is basically a series of canals and rivers).

To kick things off is Nyhavn. It’s probably the most touristy spot you’ll go to but also the most recognisable and Copen-conic (I know that was awful). This marina area has lots of restaurants and bars and is clearly a tourist hotspot. Normally I don’t eat at these kind of places but we did cave on our last day. The food wasn’t that delicious and the prices were ridiculous but just being around the buzz of people and against the water kind of made up for that. The main reason you want to visit here is to see the older townhouses along the water. They are in a multitude of colours and sure to put a smile upon your face.

If you follow the water along and cross over a bridge you’ll eventually get to Church of Our Saviour. It has a gothic spire with an external staircase winding all the way to the tippy top. Naturally we had to go up and the climb inside is very narrow and when there are a lot of people it can take a while to squeeze past. However, once you get outside on the main spire part it’s amazing. Yes it can be a little scary for people scared of heights but being outside and that high feels exhilarating. The views of the city are probably the best you’ll get and you’re essentially on a staircase to the clouds, definitely worth a punt!

Copenhagen Street Food is the place where dreams are made of haha. It’s a food market on the water with an eclectic mix of yummy stalls. Cheesecake, tacos, mojitos, cuisine galore, ice-cream and foody food mcfood. They really focus on building an atmosphere with music, pinterest decor/benches and disco ball cows. The outside area has warehouse containers that you can sit in and admire the views (there was also a dj so a real nice summery vibe). This is the perfect place to end up and fill your belly after all that walking and biking.

Of course you can’t just walk around the water – you need to get on it! I’m not a big boat tour person normally but it was included on our Copenhagen card so figured why not. The tour guide was small, sassy and fast. She went between three languages every few seconds which was super impressive. I’d say half of the tour was spent going under bridges (there are a ton of bridges) and also waving up at people. If it’s sunny give it a try as feeling the water breeze is really refreshing and it’s nice seeing the city from a different angle.

Ok not so water-based but you can’t be in Denmark and not try Danish pastries. Anything cinnamony (sp?) is a winner and quite traditional. We went to a bakery by Assistens Cemetery just out of the centre. Lots of people were sitting on the grass there and eating, reading, writing etc. It’s kind of like a cemetery/park hybrid but home to Hans Christian Andersen’s grave. The bakery was called Meyers Bageri and they had a collection of different treats. We just told the lady to give us a selection so I’m not sure what the name’s are but you really can’t go wrong! Part two coming in a few days!